Online Threat Alerts (OTA) - Alerting you to scams and frauds.

"Your Mailbox Closure Request is in Progress" Phishing Scam
Your Mailbox Closure Request is in Progress Phishing Scam

The email message below with the subject: "LAST WARNING: Your Mailbox Closure Request is in progress," which claims that a closure request will be processed shortly to empty or delete all the emails in the recipients' account Inbox and Sent-Items, is a phishing scam created to steal Microsoft Outlook or Hotmail user names and passwords. The email message was not sent by Microsoft, but by cyber-criminals, whose intentions are to hijack email accounts and use them for malicious purposes. So, recipients of the same email message are advised to delete it, and not follow the instructions in it.

The Phishing Microsoft Outlook Email Message

Sent: 07 January 2017 15:31

To: noreply@outlook.office.com

Subject: LAST WARNING: Your Mailbox Closure Request is in progress

Security Information

Hello User,

We received your instruction to empty all your Inbox and Sent Folders

We will Delete & Close Your Account Within 24 hours

You need to confirm if you made this request or we will continue with the request.

If you think it is an error, take action immediately to stop this process.

CANCEL & STOP ACTION NOW

Thank You,

Accounts Team

The link in the email message goes to a fake Outlook or Microsoft website, which will attempt to trick the cyber-criminals' potential victims into entering their usernames and passwords on it. If the potential victims enter their Microsoft Outlook, Hotmail, Live usernames and passwords on the fake website, it will be sent to the cyber-criminals behind the email scam, who will use the information to hijack their accounts.

If you have received the same email message, please go directly to your email account instead of clicking on the links in the email message. And, if there is anything wrong with your account, it will be shown to you after signing in. If you were tricked by the phishing email, please change your Microsoft Hotmail/Live/Outlook password immediately. If you are unable to, click here to report it to Microsoft.

This scam is similar to the following:

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